Seaside, Oregon- Thanksgiving

Seaside Chic Retreat: Thanksgiving 2024,

A beautiful cottage in a small quaint town for the holidays. Blinding light when walking on the beach. Everything you could ask for…

Upon our departure from the Soapstone quirky cabin, we decided it was time to head back towards the beach. Thanksgiving was coming upon us fast. Flipping through the options on Airbnb, I found what looked like a winner for a Thanksgiving stay in Seaside, Oregon. 

Winding through roads that I found almost impossible to meet the speed limit on, we meandered through prehistoric forests, half expecting to see Sam Neill, Laura Linney (shooting from the hip here, but I think I’m right), or Jeff Goldblum come running out while being chased by a giant chicken. Fern leaves the size of my car and lichen drooping from every tree, all while the sun does its absolute best to mix with the water in the air just enough to cause a blindness that makes you feel like you are entering the description of Heaven you heard about as a kid — that’s what one drives through on the way to Seaside from Clatsop County, Oregon. It is dangerous, it is beautiful, and at times you wonder if you are good enough to make it through… what a nice drive.

(This may be a good, or at least as good as any, spot to clarify a couple of things.
1: The roads we are taking and the roads we have taken — I go by my co-pilot’s coordinates. When I am driving, I drive. Many times, I will not remember which roads got us to where we ended up. This is something I’ll forget within hours if there was nothing worth getting out of the car for.
2: There is a hike along this journey, and it has a lighthouse that sticks out like a sore thumb, so you’ll know which one I’m talking about. Heck, it may not even be that side-mission hike, but it is definitely one of them within a few miles up or down that coast. There are points on the hike where I’m trying not to show that I am shaking. These things are way out of my comfort zone. In the last two decades, my exploration has been relegated to searching for errant golf balls. Having my toes touch the edge of Mother Nature’s unleashed power — knowing a gust of wind or a sudden panic attack, maybe even a new torn Achilles, and the game is over — that is not something I have been accustomed to. It’ll take a bit to get used to, that is for sure. Okay, game on…)

Seaside, Oregon
Seaside, Oregon is exactly what I would expect to get if I was a bigwig at the Hallmark Channel and demanded that my best writers and set producers make a Thanksgiving movie — the likes of which will finally put the Hallmark Channel on the map. Walking the streets, passing a pub along the river feeding into the Pacific Ocean and the boats all lined up on the docks, you get the feeling you’re in a small British town. Two minutes later, you’re walking by a town center that seems to be Hallmark Facade Set #1, equipped with a giant carousel and everyone — including the two B-list actors and the once-A-lister hanging around for the retirement check — gathered around decorating for Christmas. It is disgustingly charming. It is exactly what I was hoping it would be.

The Place
Driving in, you notice two things: first, the road is pretty tight — as are the properties. Second, you are not in a bad neighborhood at all. Those houses are meticulously maintained and all done in good taste. You won’t expect much when you pull into the garage of Seaside Cottage, but once you’re inside, you are transported to the set of that Hallmark movie. From the cute bedrooms to one of the coziest living rooms ever constructed (which I am guessing was built within a few years of the Second World War’s conclusion, as are most of the houses I have noticed in these parts of the country), this house will make you sick with cuteness. The fireplace and mantle were already set up for Christmas, for crying out loud.

Date Night: Date 1D – 11-27-24
We walk into the town from our hired beautiful cottage. The nighttime sky was a bit cloudy, and the temperature had gone from tolerable cold to “I miss Florida” cold once the breeze had turned into a sustained gust. We found a little Italian place along the walk, and my nose made the pitch that it had to be the place. Nooni’s Italian Bistro is a solid Italian bistro. It didn’t blow me away, but it shall be remembered as good. As well, I order like a child and test every chicken parmigiana at every Italian eatery.

The live musician at the bistro made all the difference that evening. Played some classics, and nailed the Elvis songs — especially Fools Rush In. It set the tone so that even if the food were rubbish, which it was not, the atmosphere would have made it decent. As it stands, nine out of ten when packaged together. We ate, we laughed, we listened, and then we left.

Now, Seaside has an aquarium, and you can walk right up and feed the sea lions. We bought some fish and chucked some at the sea lions as they clapped and played, loving the chance to do some tricks for treats. This put a nice little cherry on top of date night. Thank you, Seaside, Oregon. Okay, okay, okay — now for the real reason I love Seaside, Oregon.

Thanksgiving Morning
Thanksgiving morning, some gal and I head out for a walk to the water. The sun was rising with a lax attitude only allotted to it on rare holidays such as this. Nobody’s looking on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and on those days, the world can turn a little slower — maybe chill out a bit. The air had a bite to it that landed its teeth on the exposed pieces of skin, but not enough to make you reconsider what you are doing. The rays of light are blinding through the best lenses on the market — Maui Jim — and everything more than fifteen feet to the front is nothing more than a silhouette. Frequent glances to my direct right make sure I’m not actually walking towards the “proverbial light,” and I keep walking. It’ll go down as one of the best mornings I’ve ever lived. It was beautiful. I’ll leave it to your imagination, for there are pictures of that morning in here, but perfection in reality doesn’t happen — or shouldn’t happen — but it did that morning. And it did on several occasions.

Thanksgiving Together
We had purchased supplies for a “not too awkward” Thanksgiving together — just the two of us, on a very long first date with several sub-dates already accomplished. These supplies included the ingredients of a blanket. So yeah, when you’re in a Hallmark Channel town, you do Hallmark Channel activities, and you make Hallmark Channel things.

Black Friday Skip
The next day, we awoke, and instead of hitting up stores on Black Friday, we decided instead to drink some wine. It was time to boogie from the beach and head to my favorite area…

Pinot Noir Land.